Medical resonance imaging (MRI) devices are well known medical tools and are used extensively for diagnostic purposes. More recently it has become evident that it would be advantageous to provide a device that could be used within a close-bore MRI to perform surgery by remote control. Some medical robots have been developed however each has some significant limitations. Specifically there have been suggested some medical robots that use motors that are positioned 1 to 2 meters from the isocentre of the MRI (in fact outside the bore) and are actuated through mechanical linkages. Others have suggested remote manual actuation; zone control of MR-compatibility: no magnetic and electric components at less than 100 cm from the isocenter; motor driver and controller at 7 m away with shielded cables; motor electronics and power supply shielded in Farady cage; power to motor driver cut-off during scanning; and use of all-pneumatics that leads to larger robots. None of these robots provides a solution using ultrasonic motors that are positionable inside the bore near the isocentre of the MRI.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there is a need for reliable robots that can be used in an MRI. Further it would be advantageous to provide a medical robot with a method of calibration that is easy to use. Further it would be advantageous to provide a phantom that can mimic certain anatomical features that can be used for calibrating the robot, training surgeons and other tasks associated with the use of a robot in an MRI. It would be advantageous to provide a device that wherein a portion of it may be visible on an MR image. It would also be advantageous to provide a method of determining the best trajectory for a needle. In addition it would be useful to provide a platform for use in an MRI that includes a patient receiving portion and a medical robot is adapted to be attached thereto.